Smash Ultimate Sora release date and moveset for the Kingdom Hearts hero

The last Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter being added to the roster is Sora from Kingdom Hearts. The news comes from the October 5 Sakurai Presents livestream, which featured a deep dive on the new challenger.

From his release date and moveset to all of the details from Challenger Pack 11, here’s everything you need to know about Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

When is Sora’s Smash Ultimate release date?

Sora will be released October 18, 2021 for $5.99 as a standalone download or included with Fighters Pass 2. Most previous DLC characters have been released around 9 p.m. Eastern, but it depends precisely when Nintendo decides to roll out the update.

Is there a Smash Ultimate Sora trailer?

Yes! A cinematic announcement trailer and moveset breakdown aired on October 5, 2021. It’s included below.

What is Sora’s Smash Ultimate moveset?

Sora is an airborne fighter with a high midair jump and far recovery. His biggest weakness is his weight, meaning he can be launched easily. His moves are based on the original Kingdom Hearts, which means they move slow but require less timing. Pressing and holding attack buttons will automatically perform three-hit combos.

Normal Moves

• Three-Hit Combo: neutral attack, side tilt attack, neutral air attack, and forward air attack (press and hold A, forward A, hold A in midair, or direction in midair+hold A )
• Up Tilt: Throws Keyblade in the air. It can be used against aerial attacks. There’s a follow-up attack if an opponent’s accumulated damage is low.
• Down Tilt: Swings Keyblade down in a tripping motion that leaves you less vulnerable than a regular neutral attack. It can be a great combo starter.
• Side Smash: A wide swing of the keyblade that’s powerful and meant for launching.
• Up Smash: Points Keyblade up to the sky. It leaves you vulnerable, so it’s difficult to use against aerial attacks. Its launch potential increases depending on where you hit the enemy.
• Down Smash: Pushes the Keyblade straightd own and does a short hop. The hop allows the move to be used for evading as well. A hit emits shockwaves, giving it a wide damage range.
• Back Air: Jumps and does a backward swing. It can be combined for combos with a short hop.
• Up Air: Sora does a circular jump with the Keyblade.
• Down Air: This is the Hurricane Blast move. Sora drives downward with the Keyblade.
• Forward Throw: A standard move.
• Backward Throw: Spins and throws opponents. It has high launch power, ansd you can hit opponents with it.
• Up Throw: Launches opponents into the air to set up a combo.
• Down Throw: The opponent won’t go far and bounces off the ground. Can still be used to establish combos.

Special Moves

• Neutral Special: Sora uses magic. Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder cycle in order. You can see which spell is ready to use above his characer icon. Fire is a short repeated blast. Thundaga is difficult to land but has a wide range. It drops three lightning bolts from the sky. Blizzard has the most narrow attack range, but it can freeze opponents in place. Players will stay frozen longer if they’ve taken more damage. Magic can be reflected and absorbed by others.
• Side B (Sonic Blade): This one allows you to move three times in any direction, similar to Pikachu’s recovery.
• Up B (Aerial Sweep): This is a rising twirl attack that is very powerful and could be used for KOs. It can be combined with other moves like Sonic Blade to send Sora flying around the stage doing all kinds of damage.
• Down B (Counterattack): The opponent stumbles, giving Sora a chance to whack them with the Keyblade. However, it’s difficult for him to counter attacks from behind. It can reflect projectiles, but wont return them for a hit unless there’s another fighter behind you.

Final Smash

• Sealing the Keyhole: The move replicates his keyhole sealing animation used throughout the series.

What is in the Smash Ultimate Challenger Pack 11?

Challenger Pack 11 includes Sora and his color variants like his Kingdom Hearts outfit (P1), Kingdom Hearts II outfit (P2), his Dream Drop Distance outfit (P3), and his Kingdom Hearts III design (P4). In addition, there are also alternates based on his Kingdom Hearts II Valor outfit, Kingdom Hearts II’s Wisdom Form, Kingdom Hearts III Ultimate Form, and his Timeless River aesthetic from Kingdom Hearts II.

His stage is called Rising Falls. It features Hollow Bastion in the background and has just one platform in the center. When stock gets low, the stage will trasition to a Dive to the Heart design, which series fans will recognize as the starting point for most mainline series Kingdom Hearts games. Sora, Riku, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Ventus, or Aqua will appear in the background.

Music includes the following themes:

• Night of Fate
• Destiny’s Force
• Shrouding Dark Cloud
• Hand in Hand
• Blast Away - Gummi Ship II
• Hollow Bastion
• Scherza Di Notte
• Fragments of Sorrow
• Destati
• Dearly Beloved (Swing Version) [only with Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory save data]

Unlike other Smash themes, these ones are not custom arrangements and are instead just like the originals.